Song Form

Objectives:1. HW review2. Song Form

Assignments:DUE TODAY: Bass Line HWDUE MONDAY: Song Form HW

Webster: Song form refers to dividing a song up into different musical sections

This is similar to Rhythm in that we are dividing a song into smaller pieces : Concerning rhythm, We are dividing a song up into a serious of Bars/Measures and Beats. Each bar has a set numerical value of beats that comprise (fill up) that bar. The Numerical Value is defined by the time signature.

With Song form, we are dividing a song up into larger sections that differ musically in some way - These could be things like (but not limited to) ; Different instrumentation, different lyrics, Different Texture, Different Chord progression , etc.

We can always HEAR and audible difference in sections of a form.

Section 1 sounds different than Section 2

There will often berepeated sections of songs (think of the chorus of a song) that sound the same both musically and lyrically - In many ways song form is a play between repeated material and new material

​This goes back to the concept of familiarity and contrast!

Some sections in popular music: Intro, Verse, Chorus

Recognizing Different Sections

The intro is the easiest section to identify. It is always at the beginning of a piece and is always different from the rest of the piece (many times it is Instrumental)

When we get into the middle of a song where we are switching back and forth between sections it can be more difficult.

Remember, we are listening for both REPETITION and things that are DIFFERENTMusically and Lyrically between the different sections.

Lets start with a song we all know....

First we Listen for REPETITION

We can hear that the first 8 bars are repeated MUSICALLY (notes and chords) but different lyrically (on the must without lyrics it is repeated exactly)

SECTION 1 : 8 BARSSECTION 2 : 8 BARS REPEATED

We get new musical material (chords and notes) and new lyrics "And the rockets red glare....."

SECTION 3 : 8 BARS NEW MATERIAL

And after this new 8 bars, we get another new 8 bars of both Music and Lyrics

SECTION 4 : 8 BARS NEW MATERIAL

Notice how the song is divided EVENLY into 8 Bar sections!!Four Sections of 8 - a totally of 32 bars (32 bar song form is common)It is most common to see a song divided into even sections - If you heard a song with all 7 and 5 bar sections your ear would catch it immediately!

We get relatively little repletion in this song - with the exception of the first 8 bars repeated musically

Notice this is symmetrical - Just like the 32 bar - but cut in half with 4 bar sections instead of 8 bar sections

Strophic Form can be seen in many Folk Songs....

Strophic form in Pop Music.....

Strophic Form Emphasizes REPETITION!!

Hymns are meant to be easy to sing for a congregation of people with varying musical skill..... Folk songs are meant to be easy to sing for children and to teach my rote..

These would be really easy to whistle along to because there is only one section repeated many times over (with different words)AAAARemember that the length of sections can be different depending on the song (micheal row your boat had very short sections, while walk the line was longer), Strophic simply specifies that the one section is repeated over and over

Daft punk Tune

Sometimes there are less sections / less repetition in forms.

Section 1 : Instrumental Intro - 00:00 - 1:15

No Lyrics, Instruments only, repetition in music

Section 2 : 2 Chorus "It might not be the right..." 1:15 - 1:55

We will call this the chorus because it has the title in the lyrics

ends with "some kind of secret I will share"

Section 3 : Verse " I need you more " 1:55 - 2:15

New Lyrics

New melody music

Section 4 : Instrumental Outro 2:15 - End

Similar music / instrumentation to intro

In Classical Music

Much of classical music is small sections of melody that recur and are repeated/tweaked in different way

This is an example of a Binary form (because there are only 2 main sections)

Things we are listening for in different sections:

​Different Words, Different Music, Different Instrumentation

Let's see if we can point out the different sections in these songs

​Pay attention to the TIME and write down a time stamp every time we hear new material or a change in section

Song Form Assignment

Find:

2 Songs using Strophic Form

2 Songs using Binary Form

​2 Songs that do not fit in these categories

For each tune, like in class, give a timestamp for where the section begins and ends

Ex. for strophic, give me a range of time where I can hear the single sectionEx. for binary form, give me a range of time for the A section, and a range for the B sectionEx. If it Does not fit in any category, give a range of time where i can hear a few of the different sections

******Remember to be strategic when searching:******** - Genres affect form (folk music / little kid songs for strophic - Symphonies are 'sonata-allegra')- a 5 minute song probably won't have strophic form - If you are stuck , you can check out some internet lists (i.e google 'songs with strophic form')